Petite Princess House

I recently purchased this Petite Princess Dollhouse by Ideal at a estate sale just a few miles from my home. I have accumulated 5 pieces of Petite Princess furniture since I started collecting miniatures and honestly, didn't quite know what to do with them. I have 2 floor lamps, a grand piano, a dressing table and stool, and a large kitchen stove.

I like the symetrical layout of the facade and the shadows that they added to the house, it really gives it a 3-Dimensional look, especially in the photos.

I did a little internet research and found a great resource website, called, of all things, petiteprincess.com I sent a picture of my recently purchased house to them to get some specifics. Linda, the owner, wrote me back to let me know that this Dollhouse is an Ideal Vinyl Dollhouse manufactured between 1966 and 1967 to house Ideal's Petite Princess Fantasy Furniture. http://www.petiteprincess.com/

The house is called the Colonial Mansion Dollhouse.  It is essentially a carrying case that opens to reveal a four rooms, in a two story house.  It is made from some sort of hard board that is covered in vinyl.  It is in pretty good shape and has a plastic handle and latch on the roof and a snap on each side that would keep the case closed.

This picture would not cooperate.  It shows the courtyard that the front of the house makes when it is folded down.

The Petite Princess website is hosted by a friendly lady named Linda Gant.  Linda and her friend Deborah Holman have written a refernce guide for Petite Princess and Princess Patti furniture and houses.  Deborah's website is at: http://dorettecreations.homestead.com/

Petite Princess furniture was, for the most part, made of plastic.  It was the next step in plastic furniture evolution after the 1940's & 1950's Renwal era of plastic furniture.
I has lots of gold colored trim, detail, mirrors and even glitter.

This floor lamp was the very first Petite Princess piece that I purchased.  I came across it at an antique mall in Bartlesville Oklahoma.  I had no idea what it was or what age it was. but I envisioned it in some 1920's 1930's kind of setting.  For now, I have a place to keep my 5 pieces of furniture.